Before he was killed in 2018, Kentucky resident David Scott had already voiced serious concerns about his neighbor Frances Zaayer, whose violent actions are revisited in Netflix’s four-part true-crime series Worst Neighbor Ever.
Zaayer had once been close to David and his wife, Shawna. During renovations on her home in the same residential complex in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, she stayed with the couple. But what began as a friendly arrangement soon deteriorated into a nightmare for the family.
What started as routine disagreements escalated into ongoing harassment, threats, and ultimately gun violence. Zaayer later shot and killed David, who worked as a deputy jailer, after first shooting Shawna and causing catastrophic facial injuries.
In the documentary, Shawna explains that David quickly became wary of Zaayer and believed from the outset that she would bring trouble.
“David did not like her at all, he said she’s trouble from the beginning,” she admitted in the Netflix series.
Shawna also says she suspects racism played a role in what happened. According to her, months before the attack, Zaayer showed them a disturbing YouTube video of herself promoting racist views.
“She’s loud-mouthed, and she’s an attention-seeker. He was a very good judge of people,” she added.
Eventually, David and Shawna told Zaayer she had to leave because living with her had become unbearable. Even after moving back across the street, however, Zaayer allegedly continued targeting them.
Her hostility was not hidden. During repeated calls to 911, she allegedly told officers she would resolve the conflict herself and warned that she intended to “end” it in her own way.
At one point, she also asked police how they would respond if her neighbors killed her, apparently convinced that she was the one under threat.
“If they came down here and murdered me, and you never saw it, did it never happen? I might lose my life over this,” she said in a chilling phone call.
Zaayer also accused Shawna of assaulting her in 2017. That led to Shawna’s arrest, but she was later released because there was little evidence that any fight had actually happened. She was nevertheless ordered to stay 500 meters away from her neighbor.
The feud reached its most horrific point in May 2018 when Zaayer went to the Scotts’ home with a firearm and started shooting. David was killed and Shawna was left critically wounded.
Speaking publicly for the first time in Worst Neighbor Ever, Shawna says the injuries she suffered were life-altering. She underwent 16 surgeries after being shot in the face, with every bone around it broken.
“I suffered the loss of my sight in my left eye, the loss of the hearing in my left ear, scars on my face, just a lot of surgeries and a lot of healing,” she said.
Zaayer later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 35 years in prison after being convicted on charges including murder, second-degree assault, and first-degree wanton endangerment stemming from the prolonged dispute.
Worst Neighbor Ever, which premiered on Netflix on July 1, 2026, follows four separate cases, each focused on violence and conflict inside what appear to be ordinary, tightly connected neighborhoods.
The new series arrives on the streamer after the success of Netflix’s other true-crime titles, including Worst Roommate Ever and Worst Ex Ever.
You can stream Worst Neighbor Ever on Netflix now.